There are millions of motorcycle riders in the United States. Many of these motorcycle riders take their motorcycles on long trips which require a rider and/or a passenger sit on a conventional motorcycle seat for many hours, sometimes eight or more hours at a time with a break. When a rider and/or a passenger sits on a motorcycle seat for such a long period of time, the rider and/or passenger may experience extreme fatigue and may also develop pain due to engine vibration, bump roads, etc.
There are several problems associated with conventional motorcycle seats. One problem is that the weight of a driver and/or a passenger, while seated, causes pressure to be exerted on the driver's/passenger's genital area. This causes significant discomfort, especially during long rides and can lead to temporary or permanent problems including nerve damage. Another problem is that conventional motorcycle seats pass vibrations to the motorcycle engine and the road surface through to the rider's genital area, buttocks, thighs, back and neck causing discomfort and fatigue.
Another problem is that conventional motorcycle seats do not provide adequate ventilation causing heat to build up and making the rider and/or passenger sweaty and further causes them to slide around on the seat. Such sliding is uncomfortable and may also cause safety problems.
There have been attempts to solve some of the problems associated with bicycle seats, but not for motorcycle seats. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,629,728. entitled “Support structure for a vehicle,” that issued to Losio et al. teaches “a ventilated support structure for a vehicle, such as a bicycle, comprising an upper side having a seat surface which is supported on a rigid or semi-rigid frame on which is anchored elastically flexible padding there between. The support structure may further comprise an aperture in an anterior portion of the frame. The aperture may be oriented at least partly in a direction of forward travel of the vehicle. An air distribution channel is connected to the aperture and is also connected to a plurality of air discharge openings to ventilate the seat surface.”
U.S. Pat. No. 6,450,572 entitled “total comfort bicycle saddle,” that issued to Kuipers teaches “A total comfort bicycle saddle that is adapted to provide a rider with both a comfortable cushion surface as well as a firm support surface to enhance the rider's comfort and provide adequate support of the rider's weight. The bicycle saddle includes a relatively hard foam extending over a rigid base, a relatively soft foam extending over the relatively hard foam, and a region of gel located on top of the relatively soft foam. The relatively soft foam is adapted to provide a comfortable cushion surface for the seated rider. The relatively hard foam lying below the relatively soft foam is adapted to prevent the rider from sinking into the soft foam and engaging the rigid base. The gel on top of the relatively soft foam is adapted to undergo a change in shape in response to a seated rider shifting his position so as to evenly distribute the rider's weight over the top of the saddle.”
U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,139, entitled “bicycle saddle with ventilation function” that issued to Chuang teaches “A bicycle saddle includes a recessed portion in an upper side thereof, the recessed portion including a bottom having at least one opening. At least one guide plate is mounted in the bicycle saddle and includes an inlet that faces a front of the bicycle saddle. The guide plate and the bottom of the recessed portion of the bicycle saddle together defining a channel that communicates the inlet with the opening of the recessed portion of the bicycle saddle. A side vent is defined in each lateral side of the bicycle saddle. Thus, ambient air enters the recessed portion via the opening in the recessed portion and the side vents of the bicycle saddle during cycling to thereby provide a ventilation effect.”
U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,200, entitled “variable temperature seat,” that issued to Gregory et al., teaches “a seating construction with a plurality of plenums into which is received temperature conditioned air. The air passes through the seat via a plurality of channels formed in the foam of the seat cushion. The air then migrates through a reticulated foam layer that is itself covered with an air permeable layer of material. The reticulated foam and stitching of the seat fabric facilitate diffusion of the air from the foam channel conduits. The air then convectively circulates against and near the occupant of the seat to facilitate climate control around the occupant.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,205 entitled “seat assembly with a defined flexure region, venting or support nodules,” that issued to Calvert et al. teaches “A seat assembly having flexure members and ventilation is disclosed. An elongated aperture is cut into a base plate of the seat assembly and flexure members are formed in a support plate of the assembly which is mounted to the base plate. The flexure members deform into the aperture thus providing a rider with additional comfort due to the flexibility of the seat. A venting hole is provided throughout the seat assembly to aid in rider comfort. A forced air ventilation system forces air to flow throughout the seat assembly, thus giving the rider ample ventilation.
U.S. Patent Application No. 20030025363, entitled “Ventilated bicycle saddle,” that was published by Gaggiola teaches, “the present invention is directed to a ventilated bicycle saddle which enables air to flow along the top surface of the saddle while the bicycle is in motion. Specifically, the saddle of the present invention has a seat surface on which a rider sits. The top of the seat surface has a vent recess. An air distribution channel is positioned underneath the seat surface. The air distribution channel is engaged with one or more discharge openings disposed within the vent recess so that while the bicycle moves forwardly, air flows through the air distribution channel, through the air discharge openings disposed within the vent recess and then through the rear portion of the seat surface.
However, none of these solutions solves all of the problems associated with motorcycle seats. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a motorcycle seat that overcomes these problems and others.